Application of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to migration studies of oil-related residues in estuarine sediments (Tay estuary)

The tendency for selected organic compounds to sorb to sediments has been i nvestigated extensively. These studies, however, have not permitted the 'ob servation' or measurement of advection/diffusion processes and the breakdow n of organics within sediments. MRI is a multidimensional technique allowing the position of nuclei (most c ommonly protons) to be charted within a volume. We introduce MRI as a means of monitoring movement of oil within a series of estuarine sediments, thus offering a method of assessing the harming potential of oils in nearshore environments. Results presented in terms of the % change of oil distribution within a sed iment sample, show the great potential of MRI in studying protonated contam inants in sediments. (C) 1998 IAWQ Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All r ights reserved.